Mobilization and cooperation beyond the economic crisis

Arriving at Ellis Island in the early twentieth century, Lisa Batacchi’s great-grandparents, Ukrainian immigrants, were assigned their new name: Merchant. They were asked, “What work do you do?” “Merchants.” “What’s your name?”. The English alphabet did not allow an easy and fast translation from the Ukrainian... a number of conditions and circumstances came together to ensure that the artist Lisa Batacchi’s immigrant forebears would from then on be called Merchant, a name that was already a job, and that, probably, at that moment, became even more an identity. It is a story of a partially ascribed identity, like those born in Quarrata during the years of economic growth. Often the children or grandchildren of peasants and craftsmen, the road of industrialization ran smoothly before them, like a good prospect for their own fu- ture. As it soon became the “furniture city”, their future was clear indicated with a series of job and business opportunities that their simple relationships as neighbors had already been able to produce. A job often resulted in an identity, if not in an individual mission. It was not unusual in the “upholste- red furniture district” for someone to be called simply by the name of their profession if their real name was not known. Together, identity was destiny and opportunity.